Motor heater



sept. 11, 192s. 1,684,157 L. B. STERLING uoTon HEATER' Filed May 31, 1924 A d Y ...Jef-Enq Eg.

I/vvE/va. g f@ 2,2 2/ LAWRENCE ST5/Huma 5%/7 Tra/MEX f Patented Sept. 1l, 1928.

x UNiTEDsTATss PATENT OFFICE.

LAURENCE B. STERLING, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE H. STERLING, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

MOTOR HEATER.

Application led May 31,

and motors, and consequently preventingv the freezing of the same during kcold Weather. n

It is an object of this invention to provide a highly efficient motor heater to be secured to and carriedvby the radiator ofthe automobile which may be readily connected With the ordinary household source of electric energy when the automobile is standing in the garage, or With a source of electricity carried by the automobile.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide in such a. device a heating unit and connection members therefor of such construction that there will be no danger or the saine becomingr displaced or disconnected due to the persistent jolting and .jarring of the automobile in driving. y

These and other objects of the invention y ivill be apparent from the description made in connection With the drawings wherein like notations refer to similar parts thruout the several views, and in Which, y Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an automobile radiator With the heating device attached to the back side thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear view ofthe with some parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on yan enlarged scale 4taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and;

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged detail sectional views illustrating the novel connection members and insulators therefor. Y An automobile radiator of standard type is indicated by the numeral 7 at the side of Which a portion of a fender 8 is shown. The numeral 9 designates a rectangular trough shaped casing ofpU-shaped cross section, havn ing the flanges 10 alone,r its longitudinal sides and preferably pressed from sheet metal. A cover 11 is provided for said easing formed from a rectangular sheet of metal of slightly larger Width than the casing 9. The lonnitudinal edges of this cover are bent over the ianges 10 of the casing; to secure the same thereto. Slots 12 are provided in the flanges 10, and the bent edges of the cover 11. thru which headed bolts may pass. s rlhe bolts 13 are adapted to extend thru the corrugated portion of the radiator 7 and have their outer heater `elements to the connection members.

1924. Serial No. 716,954.

ends engaged by burrs 14. The slots 1Q per# mit the bolts to be adjusted to correspond with proper apertures in the radiator front.

The heating)r unit is snugly disposed Within and cemented to the casing 9 and comprises a rectangular pad 1,5 of dielectric hardened material, capable of conducting heat. such as a cement mixture, havingT embedded in the middle thereof the heatingr element 16. which is preferably in theform of a Wire bent into elongated parallel spaced convolutions, havinar terminals 17 extending,T beyond-one of the lateral edges of the pad 15. The heating unit occupies all of the space Within the casing 9. except. a narrow. portion at one end thereof, in Which a rectangular shaped split insulator" 1S is disposed adjacent to the terminal end of the heating` unit. Insulator 18 has Within substantially parallel to the lonsritudinal edges of the casing 9, a pair of `.Q'rooved passage Ways 19. leading from each side thereof into enlarged centralrecesses 20. These passage Ways and recesses are adapted to contain novel connection members havintr yenlarged angular portions 21, and relatively small cylindrical clannin-sr'portionsl 22. ateither side thereof asvshown infFigs. 5 and 6. The central portions 21 are seated in the large central recesses Q0. and the clampinrrportions are adapted to engasrethe terminals 17 of the heatina unit on one side of the insulator, and the ends of a pair of feed wires on the opposite side thereof. The ext-rent ities of said terminals and feed Wires are inserted thru small holes 21A in the bottom surface of the central portions 21 ofthe con nection members. and bent back against the bottomsV thereof to more firmly secure said The feed Wires 25 extend beneath one side of the hood to the outside of the automobile and are connected to a terminal plu 25 mounted preferably onthe apron of one of the front fenders 8, The terminal plus 25 preferably is equipped with a small bolt 25 adapted to pass thru a hole in the fender and engage a si'nall nut on the opposite side; A socket 26. connected to a source of electricity is adapted to engage the terminal plusi 25 When it is desired to use the heater.

From the above description. it is apparent that when automobile equipped with the novel heating* device is driven into an unbeated the heater may be readily connected with the ordinary service electrical conicc neet-ion, and freer/.ing` oif the radiator will, consequently, be prevented during,- the coldest Weather. The amount ot electricity necessary is exceedingly small. ll it is desired to heat the motor and radiator While the automobile is in use, the terminal Q5, may, of course. be connected'to a source of electr" ity carried by the automobile. in extensive actual usage et the heater has proven it to be very successful 'for the purposes enumerated.

ln the process el making4 the heating unit above described, a suitable flexible Wire is iirst laid out on a flat surace in the parallel spaced confolutions as illustrated in Fig. Q. The top ot the heating element is then covered with a substantial layer ol plastic dielee tric material adapted to harden, preferably a mixture ot Portland cement and asbestos in the form of paste. This may be poured on, or preferably coated on with a brush. The bottom oit the trough shaped casing; 9 is then covered with substantial coating of the cement paste, and the step product including the heating element is then disposed in the casing and pressed downwardly against the layer oit material at the bottom thereof. The terminals 17 or the heating element are left to project beyond one end oit' the pad formed. The cement is then permitted to harden, which is done preferably by baking the dielectric material in an oyen. The iinished heating unit is then in the term ot a hardened pad cemented to the bottom oi the casing;N 9, and lia-ving' embedded in its core the heating element 16. Thus the several convolutions in tne heating element 16 are completely insulated from each other and from the sides of the easing', and embedded Within the cement pad l5. The greatest jarring, and jolting of the automobile, cannot, therefore, injure the heating,- element to the slightest degree. The pad moreover is cemented firmly to the bottom ot the casing and cannot shake around in the easingl when the automobile is driven.

rlhe novel connection members lirinly secure the terminals et the heating element 17 to the ends ol the leed Wires 23 and the seated structure et the enlarged portions 2l, preventing longitudinal movement of the Wires Within the insulator 1S. rlhere is, therefore, no chance ot the Wires becoming loosened or short circuited under the strain and jolting` o'l" driving.

lt is therefore seen that applicants novel heater is especially adapted for rough usage and especially for disposition on the radiator oi an automobile.

lt is, ot course, understood that various Changes may be made in the "term, details and arrangement of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention7 and also that the invention is by no means to be limited in its application to an automobile heating; device, but is capable of all general heating usage. y

What is claimed is:

An electric heater tor automobile motors comprising a relatively shallonT trough-like casing having upturned longitudinal edges and an upturned 'lateral edge at one end thereof, a pad oi dielectric material cemented to the bottom of said casing fitting snugly Within said upturned sides, a. heating element embedded within said pad and forming a core thereof, a block of insulating; material disposed within said casing at the end opposite said upturned end, terminals carried by said block and a cover of sheet material enclosing said pad and block.

In testimony whereof l aiiix my signature.

LAURENCE B. STERLING. 

